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Central Park New York
Central Park is New Yorks largest, urban public park. The Park attracts a staggering 24 million visitors each year and was made a National historic landmark in 1963.
The park looks to most people, a natural urban area, but almost the entire park was landscaped. It was two landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux who were responsible for today’s park. These two men had to fight many battles with the Park Commissioners, over many years, to create what they envisaged for New Yorkers.
During the years between 1821 and 1855 New York almost quadrupled in population size. With the city growing at such pace, many people were drawn to the few green areas the city could offer.
The park opened in 1859 but much more work and land was needed. Over the next 15 years construction on the park continued at pace with many major hurdles overcome.
Topsoil from New Jersey was transported into Manhattan on almost a daily basis. A total of more than 500,000 cubic feet in total was moved. Central Park was officially completed in the year 1873 after more than ten million cartloads of various materials had been delivered.
Included in this figure are almost 4 million trees, shrubs and plants. The park also featured livestock in the form of sheep and goats. But in 1934 all the animals were moved as fear of the animals being used to feed the impoverished New Yorkers during the great depression.
During the early twentieth century Central park slipped into decline, during to lack of city funding. A change of mayor in the form of Republican Fiorello La Guardia, who unified the parks department, was a turning point for Central Park. The mayor appointed Robert Moses to clean up all of New Yorks parks.
In one year Moses had put Central Park and other New York parks back to their former glory. Robert Moses not only restored the pride in the park but also made significant changes. It was his decision to fill Croton Lower Reservoir and create the great lawn that we all see today. Moses vision was to open the park to all ages and needs.
He wanted to see people at play and work all within the park. He created nineteen playgrounds, twelve ball fields and handball courts.
During the sixties Central Park reflected the widespread feelings of the time. This period in the parks history is referred, to as the “Events era”. In 1961 summer performances commenced with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra performing and the Metropolitan Opera.
During the 1970s the park became a major venue for artists with massive concerts being staged. Political rallies and demonstrations were also a major factor during this time. Central Park in the seventies however went through a period of high crime and vandalism as did certain parts of New York City. Central Park today though is safe, fit and healthy. The park was transformed under the leadership of the Central Park Conservancy in the eighties.
Today Central Park is one of New Yorks major tourist attractions, twenty five million people each year can’t be wrong!
